THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT!

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT!

Gal 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Eph 5:8-10

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Luke 6:43-44

43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

          A machine in a factory works, and builds a product, but it can never manufacture fruit! Fruit is born of life and fruit always presents itself after its kind. I see many who are trying to please God by a meticulous, even obsessive, adherence to a list of rules. They watch the lives of other Christians and observe that there are certain things that most Christians do and so they carefully add those practices to their lives. They also observe that there are certain things that Christians do not do and so they carefully begin to remove certain practices and habits from their lives. The result is a manufactured product that closely resembles fruit. The Bible calls this product “dead works” (Hebrews 9:14).

          The Holy Spirit living inside every believer exerts life energy which results in fruit. Fruit always pleases God because God is the life cause! Instead of maintaining a well oiled machine which cranks out a product through effort, strain, toil and sweat, fruit is produced in quietness as a natural process of indwelling life. Jesus, in Luke 6, explains that fruit identifies the tree as to its kind. Without the presentation of fruit an apple tree may look very similar to a peach tree or a plum. That’s why Jesus said that every tree is known by his fruit.

          Those who produce a product through religious machinery know deep inside that there is no life in their dead works. Latching onto Jesus’ words, they have learned how to deflect their own guilt and emptiness by becoming judges of others. They have their demanding lists and they are quick to point out the failures of others. They are constantly spotlighting the failures of others so that they are not reminded of their own. When they feel themselves to be fruitless, their response is not to bend their knees in prayer but they simply oil their machinery. They return to and review their demanding lists of do’s and don’ts to be certain of their compliance.

          Are you desiring a life full of godly fruit? Don’t oil the machinery of self effort. Instead, become so intimately associated with Jesus that His life flows through you!

John 15:4-5

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Dear Lord, work quietly within me today so that I may bear your fruit and not to manufacture a cheap counterfeit by my own human efforts. AMEN